Heel and top-lift holder.



W. C. STEWART. HEEL AND TOP LIFT HOLDER.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. a. 190s.

944,389. Patented 1m28, 1909.

W. C. STEWART.. v

HEEL AND TOP LIFT HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. a. 1908.

944,389. Patented 1m28, 1909.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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iinrrun stares regress* 'ersten WILLIAM c. STEWART, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, Assieme, BY Mesem Assicu- MENTS, v'.lTO' THOMAS G. PLANT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

.HEEL AND Tor-Lier Hernan.

To 'all' whom` 'it may concern:

Be it known that L'WILLIAM C. STEWART,

a subjectV of the .King of Great Britain, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and ,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Heel and Top-Lift Hold'- ers, 'of which thefollowing description, in

connection with the accompanyi "drawings, is a specification, like miniera s on the drawings representing like parts. This .invention relates to anyvorl holder for use in boot and shoe machines, and more particularly to a heel and top-lift holder for .use in what are" known, generally, as lieeling machines.

- One object ofl the invention is to improve the construction of such devices whereby the work may be more readily placed and more firmly-held in position in the holder, and if improperly placedv in the 'holder is caused to assume aproper position with greater ease and celerity than has been possiblewith the AVholders heretofore in use.

Tov the accomplishment of this object and such others as may hereinafter appear, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the invention comprises the features and-combinations of parts hereinafter. 'described and particularly .pointed out in the appended claims. The various feat-uresof the invention will be best understood from a description of an embodiment thereof,A such, for instance, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1A is a plan'of a movable carriage having mounted thereon a plurality of. work holders embodying invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of one of the holders Aon line 2 2, of Fig. 1 ;V Fig. B

is a vertical section of one ofthe holders on' line 3-3 of Fig. 1; F 4 is an enlarged plan, partly in section, o the improved back gage; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 showing, however, the back gage as it may be constructedwhen the holder is used for toplifts; Fig. 6 is a plan ofthe under side of the back gage shown in Fig. 5

. Fig. 7 jis a plan,pa.rtly in section, of a modified form of back gageyand Fig. 8 is a vertical section on line 8;-8 of Fig. 7, lshowing a heel positioned against a face gage.

Although the invention now to be described may be use'd tov hold both heels and ringA 'first 'nailing position,

the novel features of the 4each a' breast stop face Specication of Letters ateiit.-v Patented Dec. 2S, 1909. Application led January 3, 1908. Serial No. $9,142.

top lifts, .for convenience in description the work will be referred to hereinafter as a heel, merely,v it being understood that such nomenclature in nowise limits the true scope of the invention.-

i ln one' embodiment of the linvention selected for illustrative purposes and refer- -inore particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, 2 is a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame ofany suitable form of heeling machine provided Wi 1i nailing devices, such, for instance, as is shown in the (zo-pending ep'plication for United States patent of IThos. G.

Plant, lSerial Number 412,72*(,filed January l 27, 1908. Mounted on the shaft 2 is a carriage 4l iii the lforni of 'a spider arranged to support upon. its arms a plurality of heel holders, asshowin three. The shaft 2 may be rotated, clockwise, as shown in Fig. '1, by

any suitable step-bystep operating mechanisinto bring successive holders from heel receiving position (at the right, Fig. 1) into nai driving position (in the center, Fig. 1).

llounted upon the machine frame by screw 6, is a guard or guide plate 8 which prefernblyoverlies the path traversed by heels as they .are conveyed from receiving to The guide Aplate 8 acts as a face gage in positioning the heel for the reason that the operator may, and prefer i tread oit' aheel against ably does, place the the under surface of the plate when he puts the heel into the holder. Also the plate contributes to prevent the heel from being knocked out of the holder during the travel of the latter, and `to maintain the treads of the heels all in the same plane relative to the nailing devices.

The three 'holders shown upon the illustrative carriage are substantially alike and .it will sullice to describe but one of them in Each holder comprises coperating 10 and 12, having 14 and a side grip'- ping face 1G. The gages 10 and 12 are mounted sideby side in guideways and they have, respectively, racks 18, 20 which engage between thein an idle pinion- 22 joiiriialed on a stationary stud, so that movement of one of the4 gages endwise` shall be 'accompanied by reciprocal movement of the other.' The shank of the gage 10 has a slot -which is entered by a pin 24 slide adjusting lever 26 having an adjusting detail. clamping gaws or' gages lixed in one end of astop 30 by a spring 32. -By turning the screw 28, the lever 26 may be rocked on its fulcrum 27 so as to adjust the gage 10 endwisc, such adjustment being accompanied` by lreciprocal,adjustment of the gage 12. With this arrangement, the side gripping faces 16 may be spaced apart to suit any width of heel. Ordinarily, the operator will turn the screw 28 until said faces are separatedby a -slightly less distance than the width of the heel. As thus adjusted it will be necessary to force the side gripping faces apart for the insertion of the heel, whereupon said faces will grip the heel yieldingly between them by the action of the spring 32. The slideways for the Shanks of the gages 10 and 12 constitute a part of a supporting slide 34, mounted in waysA so as to be adjustable endwise of a heel. Threading into the slide 34 is an adjusting screw 36 which has a stop collar engaging an 'arm 38 bracketed on the frame of the carriage 4.

Said stop collar is held normally against the arm 3S by means of a spring 40 connecting a pin on the slide 34 with a pin on the carriage 4. By turning the screw 36, the slide 34'inay be adjusted endwise to .move the breast stop faces 14 toward and from a back stop 42 comprising a slide 44 adjustable parallel to the slide 34, positively in both directions, by an adjusting screw 46. The slide 34 is permitted a certain amount of free play so that theoperator may force the breast stop faces 14 forwardly away from the back stop 42 when inserting the heel whereupon the spring 40 will hold the breast stop faces yieldlngly against the breast of theheel, and hold the latter against the back stop 42.

In introducing a heel to a holder, the 0perator ordinarily inserts the breast corners of the heel between the side gripping Afaces 16 as described, and then pushes the ,heel forward againstthe breast stop faces 14 thereby moving the latter and the slide 34 'forwardly until the rear of the heel may be placed in front of the engaging surface of 'the back stop 42. Thereupon the operator presses the tread face of the heel into engagement with the under surface of the guide plate 8 and then releases his grasp en the heel, it being then held between the positioning' gages by the force of lthe spring 40. The construction of heel holder thus far described is similar in principle and in its adjustments to the holders described and claimed in an application for a United tates patent filed by Erastus .VVoodward, Serial Number 327,389, dated July, 23, 1906. ln the holder of such application, the en-l gaging portion of the back stop is a iiat surface 4and is tiXedly mounted transversely relative to the heel. Although excellent ree sults have been obtained with theholder of the Woodward application, if a heel isl pre- The presentinvention aims to improvethe positioning means of the holder by providing a b'acll ,stop so constructed and arranged as to eliminate frictional rubbing, between the heel and back stop, as improperly presented heels are being centeredagnd thus permit the centering operation to proceed rapidly to completion in all cases. A preferred form of back stop tov gain this .end is shown in detail plan in Fig. 4. As there shown, it consists of a lever 50 fulcrumed at 52 on the back stop 42 and having its engaging surface 54 on the arc of a circle centered upon the axis of the fulcrum 52. The back stop lever 50 thus 'forms the back gage proper, and is normally held in a given alinement by a spring-pressed block 56, which engages a fiattened portion on Ithe hub of the lever. rlhe strength of the spring.1 bearing on they block v56, however, is not su cient toprevent easy rocking of the lever on its pivot transversely of the heel. A beveled face 43 on the back stop arm 42 prevents excessive movement in one direction and a stop pin 45 performs a similar oliice for mvement-in the opposite direction. With the described presented heel will be centeredto place the lateral extremes of its breast a ainst the stop faces 14 without frictional rubbing, that is, the gage forms an anti-friction bearing for the back of the heel.l If t-he operator introduces a heel improperly to a holder having a back gage as above described, for instance, in the position indicated on the right of l"ig. 1, as soon as the heel is released by the operator the spring 40,'in forcing the breast stop faces toward the back gage will, as before, move the heel into proper. alineincnt, but as the heel moves it will carry the- `back gage with it into the position indicated en the center holder in Fig. l. AThis centering operation does not materially aect the bodily endwise adjustment of the heel determined by the location -of the back gage face 54, since all parts ofthe latter are preferably'equidistant from its axis of rotation i and swinging of the back stop gage lever will not change the distance of the rear of the heel from the back stop slide 44. When a rheel is finally withdrawn from its holder,

the spring block 56 returns the back stop.

arrangement of thev back gage, it is obvious that an improperly j- `nounced at the back of the top-lift.

preferably stesse the lever 50 and the block 56, the back gagev 1s self-centering when moved in'either direc' tion.

art, the top lift is used, generally,

in trinnning the lateral surface of the heel and for this reason it is properly shaped,

including the formation of a correct bevel of -its lateral surface with relation toits tread face, before it is secured to the tread face ofthe heel. This -bevel is the most pro- In the holder hereinbefore described the b acligage constructed so that it rests close against the under surface of the guide plate 8 which forms the face gage. In holding toplifts, although very good results have been obtained with such a construction; owing to the above mentioned bevel on the lateral surface ofthe top lift, it is expedient to construct the vback gage in such a manner that is bearing surface may engage the lateral surface of the top-lift at a'point near the iiesh side.

hold is secured when using a relatively thin back gage. To accomplish this result, in the embodiment ofthe invention selected for illustration and referring to Figs. 5 and (i, the baci; gage lever 50 is formed in two partsI 51 and 53. such parts being hinged together by a bent leaf spring 55 so'that the part 53, having the engaging face, projects forwardly in a plane at an angle to the plane of the face gage part 53 is determinedby a stop shown as a stiff plate 57. 'The hinge is made yielding for the reason that in attaching th'e top-lift it is compressed and t ,face of the heel extending beyond the toplift will, when the-gage is so near the 'liesh side of the top-lift, bear with considerable pressure upon the gage in the attaching operation. The spring hinge 55 allows'the `gage to yicld. before this pressure-but returns the gage promptlyinto its operative position detern'iined by the stop plate.

A modified form of back gage is shown by Figs. i' and 8. The back stop arm ft2 in this case is provided with a bearing block v5S mounted to slide through lugs '(O on the arm and made self centering by the Yaction of springs (i2. Between the bearing block 5S and the back stop rarmis a cage (i4, havingv As is well known to those skilled in the.

as a guide l Thus the tivo surfacesare brought into such Contact that a firmer 8. The lower position of the4 he portion of the tread y lcliines Comprising a in a right line, as'

With the described construction and operation of the mechanism, in presenting heels to the holders it is necessary to place theln while the holders are beneath the guide plate or face gage 8. Ordinarily the eye of 7C." the operator is above the plate 8 and, there fore, the heels, and for many sizes the positioning devices of the holders, are obscured from vieW, rendering the roper presentation of heels somewhat digicult. -ln order to permitpresentation of heels to the hold# ers toproceed with greater vease and accu-` racy, the face gage 8 is preferably constructed so as to permit a View ofthe heel therethrough as it is brought by the operator against the positioning devices. lIn the embodiment of the invention hereon4 se-y` lected for illustrative purposes, the vguide plate S. is provided with a portion 70 of transparent material, preferably'glass, adg5 jacent the heel receiving position of the hold-. ers. Thus, a complete view of the heel andof all the Working parts is obtained for all sizes.

In construing the following claims the term heel is to be understoodv as includ-v ing Within its meaning either a heel or a top-lift, or both of these articles, and the term face gage is to be understood as including any device for engaging either face of a heel or a top-lift.

`While the particulars of construction herein set forth are well suited to one form of the invention, it is not' to be understood'that these vparticulars are essential since they may be variously modified Within the skill of the artisan Wit-hout departing from the true scope of the actual invention as defined by the following claims.

1What isl claimed as new, is

l. A heelholder for boot and shoe ma chines comprising automatically operating heel centering means, and Aheel positioning means including a back gage mounted for' movement transversely With the heel during 110 the centering operation.

2. A heel holder for boot and shoe machines comprising a breast gage, a transversely movable, selfcentering back gage and means acting4 to relatively move -said- 115 gages toward each other, the back gage acting during such relative movement to auto# matically center the heel.

3'. A heel holder for boot and-shoe machines comprising a breast gage, and a back v120 gage constructed and arranged to permit centering of the heel relative vto the breast gage and movable transversely with the heel` in its centering movement, and means to yieldingly press the breast gage and back 12.5 gage toWa-rdeach other.

4. A Aheel holder for boot and shoe mabreast gage spring pressed 'toward the heehand ananti-friction' device arranged to gage the back of the heel 130.

5. In a heel holder, breast and back gages for positioning the heel, one of said gages normally 2o l having an anti-frictionally-mounted bearing surface and means for maintaining one of said gages yieldingly pressed toward the other. 6. In a heel holder, heel positioning means including a pvotally mounted back gage, centrally arranged relatively to the back of the heel, having a bearing surface on an arc of the circle of'which said pivot is the center. f

.7.' A-heel holder for boot and shoe machines comprising a breast gage, bach' gage pivotally mounted for transverse movement relative to said breast gage, and means to maintain said back gage in substantially central position.

8. In a heel holder, heel positioning means comprising a breast gage and a separate back gage relatively movable to embrace the edgesof a heel, said separate back gage having a main portion and an engaging portion mounted for Amovement relative to the main portion in a path of direction at substantial right angles to -the pla-ne of the tread face of the heel.

9. In a heel holder, heelnpositioning means including a back gage formed in two parts, said parts being hinged together, said hinged .connection eomprising la spring for holding said gage in work engaging position, while' permitting said gage to yield fromsaid position.

10. Heel. positioning means for boot andI *Y shoemachines comprising a breast gage, a4

back gage, and a relatively stationary face gage, said back gage being constructed and arranged with it's'engaging portion in a plane extending at an obtuse an leto the p lane of the engaging surface o the face gage and away from said face gage'to permit said engaging portion to. flatly engage the beveled lateral surface -of 'the work to hold it against the face gage as the work is moved relatively thereto.

11. A heel holder for boot and shoe machines comprising positioning means for engaging the lateral surface of the heely and a face gage above said positioning means, said face gage being constructed and arranged to permit a view of theperimeter of the heel face as the heel-is placed yin engagement with said positioning means.

v12. In a heel. holder, heel positioning means including a face gage of transparent material.

,413. A mechanism of the character described comprising a'heel holder mounted for movement from heel receiving to nail driving position, a guide plate above the ath of movement of said holder to gage the aceof-the heel and vinsure its movement in a single plane, said guide plate having a transparent portion adjacent the heel receiving position of the holder.

14. A heel holder for bootJ and. shoe inachines comprising a breast gage, a carriei.`

tact with the heel during the centering operation.

16.' 'A heel holder for boot and shoe machines, comprising gages at the breast and back of the heel, and means tending to force one of said gages toward theother and operating to turn an improperly placed heel into central position, said other gage being mounted -for responsive movement to the turning movement of the heel.

17. A heel holding and positioning device `Si() said gages being mounted for rolling conforl boot and shoe machines comprising a face gage, and a plurality of gages for the lateral surface of the heel, oneof saidv lateral surface gages being mounted for movement toward and from the face gage, means 'for normally holding said gage with its work contacting edge directed away from the face. gage, and said plurality of gages for the lateral surface of the heel being movable together and relatively to the face' gage inputting the work in position.

18. In a heel holder, heelv positioning means comprising a back gage and a breast gage movable toward and from said back gage to embrace the edges of a heel, a relatively 'stationary face plate, yielding means for normally holding one of said gages with its work engaging portion directed at an angle away .from the face plate, said yielding gage having its heel engaging edge movable in a path of direction at substantial right angles to the plane of the tread face vof the heel. 19. A heel holder for boot and shoe machines comprising a breast gage and a back gage mounted for bodily transverse move- IICl iis?

ment relative to said breast gage and for movement iii a pathof direction at substantial right angles to the plane of the tread fa'ce7 of the heel.

20. In a machine of the lcharacter described, a work holder including a breast gage and a back gage, means for yieldingly A fj supporting one of said gages for lmovement in a path of direction at substantially right angles to the plane of the tread face of the heel, and means forsupporting the other of said gages unyieldinglywith reference to movement in a direction at right angles to the tread surface of the hee.

2l. A Work holder Jfor boot and shoe machines comprising abreast gage and-a back gage, means for moving said gages toward each other to clamp the Work between them, means for supporting the breast gage unyieldingly with reference to movement in a' direction transverse of the tread surface of the heel and means for supporting the .back gage yeldingly With reference to movement in the same direct ion. l

22. A top lift holder for boot and shoe machines comprising automatically operating top 1ift,centering means, top lift positioning means including a back gage mounted for movement transversely With the top lift during the centering operation, and a stop to limit the transverse movement of the back gage.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my nano this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM C. STEWART.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. BRENNAN, REDFIELD H. ALLEN. 

